| | November - 20228IN MY OPINION Educational Leaders-- A Letter to the Seasoned and New HiresBy Marya Withers, Ed.D., VP of Academic Affairs, Lincoln Educational ServicesWe see you, campus educators! academic deans, education supervisors, program directors, or similarly titled professionals ­ you wear many hats, juggle countless tasks, show up with enthusiasm, encourage the discouraged, seek answers for all who come knocking on your door, come in early and frequently stay late, and at the close of the day, you carry a concern for all tasks left undone that await your attention tomorrow. You are seen, you are immensely admired because you know keenly the work will never actually be complete. Even still, you stay the course out of an abundance of compassion for your students as they strive to shape their futures, despite resource limitations and amidst a flurry of distractions. If a school culture is palatably student-centered and educational quality is evident in the measured outcomes ­ you can bet there is a knowledgeable, resourceful, scrappy, and kind Educational Leader on-site with tremendous influence. So, what if you are new to an educational leadership role? Good news. Typically, an onboarding mentor is assigned; however, let's assume not in your case. Since you aspire to do great things quickly, make your mark, and "hit the ground running" ­ you are hungry to digest any `carrots of knowledge' needed. Navigating your acclimation period, getting on solid footing and a place of influence, requires you to chew on at least these few `carrots'!Carrot 1: Slow Your Role/Roll. You will do great things, but no need to "hit the ground running". We all know that hitting and running are against school policies anyway. Better to listen, observe, ask questions, take notes, and study. Read the school mission, campus catalog, addendum, enrollment agreement, internal policies, syllabi, website, marketing material, recent meeting minutes, student and faculty performance reports, and any recent correspondence with internal or auditors/accreditors. After you have done your due diligence, you can Marya Withers
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